Archive for the ‘People’ Category

When we are trying to make something happen, conservationists sometimes think like cowboys. We break out the cattle prod and try to shock the public into action with a stiff jolt of bad news. There’s a time and place for that — but to motivate people, you have to mix the bad news with a more positive environmental message.

Here are some examples of “cattle prod” messages that have crossed my desk recently: “Giant corporations will spend billions to control our elections,” “Massive portions of the ocean blighted by plastic trash,” “methane entering the atmosphere threatens to accelerate global warming crisis.” Yikes! Sometimes the content of my morning inbox makes me want to just go back to bed and pull the covers over my head.

Of course, these messages are true. And you have to tell the public about a problem to make the case for your solution. But if you just jolt them repeatedly with the bad news cattle prod, you might demoralize and desensitize your audience. Sure, they might agree with you — but they won’t do anything.

To give you a flavor for what I mean, I recently ran some conservation outreach materials past a test panel of everyday citizens. Here are some reactions to the shock messages:

Shock Messages About Bad Environmental Habits:

• “There was so much garbage shown and the damage was so big that it gave me pause. Would what I could do really help stop all that horrible waste?”
• “The actions of one person alone do not really add up to much.”

Shock Messages About Financial Need:

• “My action/donation would only be effective only if I am one of MANY who donate. Land is not cheap…”
• “I wouldn’t be certain my small donation would really make a difference…”

Shock Messages About Government Inaction:

• “Being only one voice, my single opinion can hardly effect political manueverings…”
• “I realize that state representatives receive hundreds, if not thousands, of complaints and suggestions everyday. Unless this action is taken on a large scale, I am doubtful it would hold a significant impact on government policies…”

Not exactly the words of people poised to spring into action to save the day, are they? These quotes underscore the urgency of mixing in some encouragement and words of success. That’s what author John W. Gardner meant when he wrote, “the first and last task of a leader is to keep hope alive.”

So listen up, cowboy — you might get a few cows moving with your trusty cattle prod, but it’s the herd mentality that moves society. People find hope and courage in that herd. Read how our test panel reacted to some conservation messages that evoked the sense of strength in numbers:

When Told Others Are Working Together to Change Bad Habits:

• “…one person’s acts multiplied by many thousands of like minded people can have a profound impact on the problem.”

When Told Others Have Already Done Their Part to Give:

• “…having donations matched makes my action seem like it would have a bigger impact.”

When Told Others Have Made a Difference by Signing a Petition to Officials:

• “…a widely distributed petition can have some influence on the various representatives of the petitioning constituencies.”

So next time you find yourself sitting at the computer to concoct an environmental message that you want to motivate your some audience to some action, remember the importance of the hopeful herd.

Moo!

Charitable donations come from the heart –not the head, not the wallet. The World Wildlife Fund knows this — and so it seeks donations for its work in Mozambique by telling the story of one person who has benefited from it. That’s why the Due Diligence Test Panel described the email with words like ”heartful,” ”emotional” and ”hopeful.” They rated this fundraising email the second best of the test batch I had them review.

In contrast, the North Florida Land Trust is trying to impress donors with a summary of its accomplishments (550 acres protected in 2009) and the size and urgency of the threats. This is exactly the story that grantmakers want to hear — but everyday citizens find it hard to wrap their hearts around that. The test panel described the Trust‘s email with words like “important,” but also “lacking” and “confusing.” They rated this piece second from the bottom in the test batch.

Here are some interesting numbers — look at the big deficit WWF overcame in one key area to clinch second place. That’s good environmental writing right there (click the image to see it in full size).

Environmental Writing Takeaways

Do you believe that WWF‘s work in Mozambique is inherently more appealing than the work of the North Florida Land Trust? I don’t. Not by a long shot. WWF’s email is fundamentally about fishery management council meetings, which have brought tears to my eye on more than one occasion… of boredom. WWF’s email is the work of a crack fundraiser: someone knew that human angle was in there, they sifted through a pile of field reports until they found it – and omitted the rest.

WWF spun a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, so to speak. And the North Florida Land Trust has done the opposite — hiding a potentially moving story behind faceless issues and numbers.

My land trust clients tell me that landowners often cry when they sign the documents that will preserve the family farm forever. They are overcome with sorrow at the thought losing the land to ugly modern development. They speak movingly of preserving their family heritage and knowing that their grandchildren will hunt the fields, fish the creeks, and make pies with apples from the orchard. Saving the farm is gesture of hope for the future, a chance to make a difference that will last for generations. And for good measure, the whole community benefits from their choice.

But you wouldn’t know any of that from reading the North Florida Land Trust‘s email, now would you?

Click the links below to see the original pieces and the full Due Diligence Test Panel feedback on them:

World Wildlife Fund

• “Showing Some Heart for Lake Niassa” fundraising email
• Due Diligence Test Panel critique of this email

North Florida Land Trust

• “Now is the Time” fundraising email
• Due Diligence Test Panel critique of this email

P.S. The true purpose of the DDTP is to evaluate draft fundraising and other materials – so you can improve them! Once I finish testing and launch the service, you’ll get your feedback in confidence. Not on the blog for all to see.

Dr. Robert Cialdini is an important influence on my thinking, and he nails it in an interview with Grist earlier this week:

Changing people’s knowledge, changing people’s attitudes, changing people’s beliefs are all on the surface of changing their behavior. So let’s cut to the chase: Let’s change their behavior. There are techniques for doing it that don’t involve having to change any of those [other] things.

Cialdini doesn’t stop with that zinger, he focuses on a variety of ways that good environmental communication and writing can contribute to addressing energy and water problems. Definitely worth a read!

Environmental Communications Expert Interview

Thanks to A.I. for the tip!

I’m not sure what you would call this thing. Is it a poster? A cut-out? A kiosk? Whatever it is, environmental communications professionals should imitate it. Behavioral and market research suggests that this advertisement (snapped on the cell phone in a movie theater lobby) has a simple and well chosen message — everybody else is doing the right thing, so should you. I bet this poster is more persuasive than pictures of accident victims on the hood of a wrecked vehicle.

Also, it is 100% message method compliant!

• Step One: Begin with Behavior. Check — wear your seatbelt.
• Step Two: Find Foolproof Photos. Check — there she is, wearing her seatbelt. And you can see her face.
• Step Three: Swap the Shoptalk. Check – no traffic industry jargon anywhere.
• Step Four: Insert the Words That Work. Check. I’m giving them credit for “doing your part” (because the slogan “everybody’s doing it”) and “law” (because they use “enforcement”)

Good job!